“The truth shall set you free”.
From gnawing guilt. From half-expressed desires. From the need to keep the secret buried deep inside you. From the shackles that prevent you from acting as you wish.
At times half-truths and lies lock us into a web of deceit that seems to strangle our actions and desires. We become afraid of speaking on a certain topic, or avoid meeting with a certain person. We watch the words we say; or may even furtively meet another because we have not been truthful about our relationship. We keep the truth bottled inside of us. Afraid to hurt others. Afraid of how people will react. Afraid to be open and honest.
And when the truth be told, we feel a sense of relief. In the telling, our heart beats rapidly and our palms may be clammy. But once the truth is known, we are free to act and speak openly. We are free to be who we are.
Yes, the truth will set us free. And in the freeing, we will soar to unbelieved heights.
What are your thoughts on telling the truth?
(This post was inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt: Truth)
© Colline Kook-Chun, 2013
Truth still needs judgement in action.
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Which is why we sometimes bury it deep within ourselves. The truth, though, always seems to find its way out into the open – even if it is 20 years later.
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“Once the truth is known, we are free to act and speak openly. We are free to be who we are” I can’t help but think that’s exactly why satan wants to silence us and keep things covered up. Truth is damaging to his lies. Enjoyed your post.
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I see Satan as a being who does not enjoy truth because he does his best work when people surround themselves with lies and deceit.
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Lies should not be resorted to at all, as they invariably provide the weaving of that ‘tangled web’. There are times when suggestio falsi or suppressio veri (giving a false impression, or withholding some of the truth) can be used to protect feelings. Truth that provides unnecessary pain is better left unuttered.
I hate these people who justify their gratuitious insults by bragging, ‘I tell it as I see it’ or ‘I’m a straight-speaker;’ Interestingly, they are mostly the ones who can dish it out, but not take it.
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And, as you say, in their pride of being a straight-speaker they are intent on being hurtful. There are times when truth needs to be hidden – at least until the person who hears the truth is able to deal with it.
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I second yours 🙂 and I have nothing more to add 🙂
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Thank you Paula 🙂
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Vital, but gently!
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I agree. A hard to hear truth needs to be told gently and with empathy.
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Dear Colline
Yes, my friend, truth has a way of nagging our conscience until we speak the truth! But I think the secret lies in doing it in love. That is what is sometimes so difficult; without grace, impossible.
Blessings XX
Mia
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You mention an important word Mia – love. If the words are not said with love and caring then one can doubt the reason for the truth-telling.
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This is interesting, Colline. The truth…hmmm. Yes, it can set us free. It can be a relief to unburden the mind, conscious and the keeping of a secret. Sometimes, it can bring grief to others or self. Sometimes the revelation of the truth can add a burden as well to self and others.
The weight of an inconvenient truth is often difficult to bury and many will manipulate the truth to manage it’s weight upon the conscience. This seems to be the way to survive. Deception is deeply ingrained into our way of life for all of us that to be completely truthful at all times at all costs is a risky weight to bear.
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Many of us do deceive ourselves when we are unable to accept the truth of a behaviour, or even a choice. It may be a way which encourages us to continue. I am guessing that some of us are better at self-deception than others.
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I think it is the ones who are not so good at self-deception who suffer the most. I have come to realize that telling ourselves alternate truths is a daily occurrence for everyone who must work to earn a living. In every profession as well as ordinary work life, we are expected to ‘behave’ in a certain manner.
For example, a young woman working retail might like to tell her customers that the merchandise is on sale at another retailer, if asked, however, she would know that this would not be good for her retail career so must use a form of deception to hide this fact, even if it is simply lying by omission.
I’m thinking also of police officers who may wish to speak up about certain things but must maintain the ‘thin blue line’. Two officers in Alberta spoke up about a brutal beating of a victim by one of their own and both those officers suffered non-support of their fellow officers and a lack of back-up when required. One officer lost his job due to speaking up about what weighed heavily on his conscience.
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You bring up such a relevant point Darlene. Often we avoid telling the truth in our working lives I order to keep our job – or even not be seen as incompetent. How often do we say it is okay to have more duties and responsibilities when we know it is not; that these extras will cut into our personal and family time.
As the expression goes: different shades of grey. Some untruths are more harmful than others.
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I think the same as the comment above, telling the truth no matter how much it will hurt the person you are telling it to is just selfish. Sometimes you have to live with that guilt, because it isn’t going to help the person you are telling it to, just helps yourself.
My daughters tell the truth all the time, I hate it, they don’t care that sometimes what they are saying is really hurtful. Telling the truth is one thing, but then there is also learning when to keep your mouth shut.
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I am thinking that there are degrees of truth-telling. At times it is not necessary to tell someone they do not look good in the dress they are wearing, for example. In other instances, however, there is a need to tell the truth I think.
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Very timely here at my house as my youngest is on his quest to speak his own truth in relation to a fractured relationship. I am posting this on my refrigerator!
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Such a big step forward for him as in the telling he may be able to move forward. I wish him all the best.
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Telling the truth is easier, most of the time. Lies have to be remembered, exactly as they are. Truth can be a bit more slippery (for example, three people witness an event, and each saw something different), but at least it’s usually easier to remember. 🙂
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A truth is definitely in the eyes of the beholder. And , as you say, it is always easier to remember your own truth as you saw/heard it.
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Great post! Saying “half truth” is just a fancy way of saying “lie”. Your stance is absolutely correct!
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Good to find someone who agrees with me. Evasions and lies are always found out – and then you have to explain why you lied. Makes life even more complicated.
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Exactly!
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